Trump's defense chief heads to Asia,
eying China, North Korea threat
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[February 01, 2017]
By Phil Stewart and Nobuhiro Kubo
WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - President
Donald Trump's defense secretary is expected to underscore U.S. security
commitments to key allies South Korea and Japan on his debut trip to
Asia this week as concerns mount over North Korea's missile program and
tensions with China.
The trip is the first for retired Marine General James Mattis since
becoming Trump's Pentagon chief and is also the first foreign trip by
any of Trump's cabinet secretaries.
Officials say the fact that Mattis is first heading to Asia - as opposed
to perhaps visiting troops in Iraq or Afghanistan - is meant to reaffirm
ties with two Asian allies hosting nearly 80,000 American troops and the
importance of the region overall.
That U.S. reaffirmation could be critical after Trump appeared to
question the cost of such U.S. alliances during the election campaign.
He also jolted the region by pulling Washington out of an Asia-Pacific
trade deal that Japan had championed.
"It's a reassurance message," said one Trump administration official,
speaking on condition of anonymity.
"This is for all of the people who were concerned during the campaign
that then-candidate, now-president, Trump was skeptical of our alliances
and was somehow going to retreat from our traditional leadership role in
the region."
Trump himself has spoken with the leaders of both Japan and South Korea
in recent days and will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in
Washington on Feb. 10.
Mattis leaves the United States on Feb. 1, heading first to Seoul before
continuing to Tokyo on Feb. 3.
DEFENSE SPENDING
Trump singled out both South Korea and Japan on the campaign trail,
suggesting they were benefiting from the U.S. security umbrella without
sharing enough of the costs.
In one 2016 television interview, Trump said of the 28,500 U.S. troops
deployed to South Korea: "We get practically nothing compared to the
cost of this. Why are we doing this?"
Mattis, in his confirmation hearing, appeared to play down those
remarks, noting that there was a long history of U.S. presidents and
even defense secretaries calling on allies to pay their fair share of
defense costs.
But his visit to the region comes amid concerns North Korea may be
readying to test a new ballistic missile, in what could be an early
challenge for Trump's administration.
Speaking with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo ahead of his
trip, Mattis reaffirmed a U.S. commitment to defend the country and
"provide extended deterrence using the full range of U.S. capabilities."
[to top of second column] |
President Donald Trump listens to remarks by Defense Secretary James
Mattis (R) after a swearing-in ceremony for Mattis at the Pentagon
in Washington, U.S., January 27, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Analysts expect Mattis to seek an update on South Korea's early
moves to host a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system,
which, once in place sometime in 2017, would defend against North
Korea's nuclear and ballistic capabilities.
Still, a South Korean military official played down expectations of
any big announcements during the trip, saying Mattis' first visit
would likely be "an ice-breaking session" for both countries.
In Tokyo, Mattis is to meet Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, who has
repeatedly said Japan is bearing its fair share of the costs for
U.S. troops stationed there and has stressed that the alliance is
good for both nations.
Japan's defense spending remains around 1 percent of GDP, far behind
China, which is locked in a dispute with Japan over a group of East
China Sea islets 220 km (140 miles) northeast of Taiwan known as the
Senkakus in Tokyo and the Diaoyus in Beijing.
The trip also comes amid growing concern about China's military
moves in the South China Sea. Tension with Beijing escalated last
week when Trump's White House vowed to defend "international
territories" there.
China responded by saying it had "irrefutable" sovereignty over
disputed islands in the strategic waterway.
"What U.S. military people say is that considering the pace of
China's military build-up such as anti-ship missiles and fighters,
there are worries about Japan's capabilities," said a senior
Japanese defense ministry official, speaking on condition of
anonymity.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Linda Sieg in
Tokyo, Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom in Washington, and
Ju-min Park in Seoul; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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